Gun-firing mechanism



Aug. 17, 1943- B. P. JOYCE GUN-FIRING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 17, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 17, 1943.

P. JOYCE "2,327,041

GUN-FIRING MECHANISM 4 sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 17, 1940 livyam I. Joyce Aug. 17, 1943-. B. P. JOYCE 2,327,047

GUN-FILRING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 1'7, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Bryan Joyce 733% M, W wm Aug. 17, 1943. B.,P. JOYCE GUN-FIRING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 17, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Bryan P Jbyce 'wn has:

Patented Aug. 17, 1943 GUN-FIRING FLECHANISBI Bryan P. Joyce. East Orange, N. 1., assignor to American Armament Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application October 17, 1340, Serial No. 361,621

The invention aims to provide a simple and eifective firing mechanism designed primarily for anti-tank guns and the like.

In carrying out the above end, a further object is the provision of a novel arrangement of parts for transmitting movement from a firing button or the like to ajfiring trigger of the gun.

Yetanother aim is to make novel provision whereby the'firing button may be held in safety position.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, description being accomplished by reference to the accompanying drawa g 11" Figure 1 is a side-elevation showing an antitank gtm equipped with the invention.

Figure'2 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view. f

Figure 3 is a fragmentary-side elevation partly in section as indicated by the arrow '3 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view as indicated by the lines 4-4 of Figs. 2 and 3.

Figure 5 is a vertical longitudinal section partly in elevation as indicated by line 55 of Fig. 2.

Figure 6 is a vertical transverse section substantially on line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Figure 'I is a disassembled perspective view 4 showing the trigger-operating roller and the rock shaft and arms with which it is associated.

Figure 8 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view through the firing button and associated parts as indicated by line 88 of Fig. 5.

Figure 9' is a vertical transverse sectional view on the plane indicated by line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Figure 10 is a rear elevation of the firing button and associated parts as indicated by the arrow 10 of Fig. 5.

Preferred features of construction have been illustrated and will be rather specifically described, with the understanding, however, that within the scope of the invention as claimed, variations may be made.

An anti-tank gun is shown in which the gun proper i2 is mounted on a cradle i3, said cradle having trunnions is pivotally mounted in bearlngs is on a top carriage i6, said top carriage being pivoted at i! on a vertical axis to an appropriate bottom carriage [8. The cradle i3 is provided with segments i 9 instrumental in elevating and depressing the gun, and the bottom carriage I8 is provided with a curved rack 29 which is instrumental in traversing the gun.

Rigidly secured to one side of the top carriage it by cap screws or the like 2!, is a casing 22 containing gearing necessary in effecting elevation and traversing. A vertical shaft 23 extends through this casing and is provided on its lower end with a pinion 24 meshing with the rack 20.

iii

Within the casing 22, the shaft 23 is equipped with a worm gear 25 meshing with a worm 25 on a horizontal shaft 21 which extends into said casing, the rear end of this shaft 21 having an appropriate hand wheel 28. By rotating this hand wheel, it willbe seen that the top carriage 16 will be turned upon-its pivot ll to traverse the gunasrequired. I

A horizontal shaft 29 to the exterlorofthe casing 22 and=can1es pinions to meshing with the segments ",said shaft having a gear '3! within said casing mesh ing with a worm '32 on an inclined shaft 33 which.

extends across the casing 22 and projects-rearwardly from the latter, the rear end of said shaft 33 being equipped with a hand 'wheel 34. Turn mg of this hand wheel causes turning of the shaft 29 to elevate or depress thegun as required. This hand wheel 34 is by preference is in the: form of a knob of such size'that it may be readily pp d by one hand, and the firing'button 35 for the gun is so associated with the rear of said hand wheel 34 that said button may be pushed with the palm of the same hand which operates said hand wheel, it thus being unusually convenient to fire the gun the instant it is elevated or depressed to the required extent.

The firing trigger of the gun is indicated at 36, (see more particularly Figs. 2, 3 and 4) and in the present showing, it is necessary to depress said trigger from engagement with a lug 3'! on alongitudina-l rod 38, to cause firing of the gun. The rod and trigger are mounted on the gun cradle i3, and near said trigger this cradle is provided with a bracket-39 having a bearing 49 disposed transversely of the gun. Within this hearing, a short rock shaft 4| is mounted (see Figs. 2 and 7). One end of this rock shaft has a crank arm 42 carrying a roller 43 which overlies the trig er 36, and a second crank arm 44 is provided on the other end of said rock shaft 4! for a purpose to appear.

A member 45-15 pivotally mounted on an axis which is permanently alined with the trunnions (4, said member having one upwardly projecting arm 46 and one downwardly projecting arm' 41. The arm 46 is connected by a link 48 with the arm 44 of-the rock shaft 4| above described, so that rocking of the member 45 in the proper direction will cause depression of th roller 43 on the other arm 42 of said rock shaft 4!, thus efextends from the interior 4 ably connected with each other. The outer collar Si is connected by a link 52 with the downwardly projecting arm 4'! of the pivoted member 45. Due to construction later described, the inner collar 59 is operatively connected with the push button 35. Thus, pushing of this button causes the swivel connection 49 and the link 52 to turn the pivoted member 45 in gun-firing direction, whereupon said member operates the link 48 and the latter actuates the bell crank (44, M, 42, 43)

' to trip the firing trigger an, causing nring of the The member 45 above described is preferably in the form of a short length of tubing, and to rotatably mount said member on an axis per-' manently aiined with the axis of the trunnions it, I prefer to employ a headed stud 83 threaded at 54 into one of said trunnions.

' For the construction now to be described, di-

rectly associated with the firing button 65, 'the hand wheel-34, and the swivel connection -59, reference is made more particularly -to Figs. 8

and 9. From these vlews,it will be seen that the rear portion ofthe hand wheel 34 is formed with l a central recess 55-of circularoutline. The firing button 35 is slidable in this recess, and pins '58 parallel with theshait 33, operatively connect said firing button with theinner'collar I59 of the swivel connection, said pins being preferably in the form of screws, as shown. These pins pass slid-ably through openings in the hand wheel 34 and there are preferably three of pins to effectively guide the movements of the push button 35. A suitable compression spring 53 normally holds this push button in its rearmost position but whenever saidpush button is forced forwardly, it forwardly moves the-swivel connection 53 to effect gun-firing. During rotation of the hand wheel 34 to elevate or depress the gun, the inner member 58 of said swivel connection simply rotates idly in the outer member SI of said connection.

The push button or firing button 36 preferably consists of inner and outer members 59 and 68 rotatably connected with each other, said inner member being secured to the pins 58. The member 3:) is in the form of -a shell rotatable upon the inner member'tle on an axis alined with e axis 01' the shaft 33. This shell 60 carries under more forwardly projecting pins or the like 51' which will abut the inner wall of the recess 55 (in wheel 24) and prevent operation of the button 34 unless said shell 50 be turned to a predetermined position. When the shell is turned to this position, the pins or the like El aline with recesses 62 in the hand wheel 34 and, therefore, said pins or the like will not interfere with forward movement of the 63 through which said words are visible one at a time. When Fire" is visible the pins or the like 6| are alined with the recesses 82 and there is nothing to prevent forward movement of the firing button to fire the gun. When the shell 60 is turned, however, to display the word Safe" in the window 63, the pins or the like 6| are out of alinement with the recesses and firing movement of the button 35 is, therefore, prohib ted.

From the foregoing, taken in connection th the accompanying drawings, it will be seen at novel and advantageous provision has been m e for carrying out the objects of the invention, and while preferred details have been illustrated, attention is again invited to the possibility of making variations within the scope of the invention as claimed.

Attention is not only invited to. the novel structure and relation of elements shown more particularly in Fig. 8, but to the simple and advantageous operating connections between the swivel connection 49 and the trigger-releasing member 43, I am, of course, aware that 'these operating connections will receive some movement when.the gun is either elevated or depressed, but in an anti-tank or similar gun, the extent of depression is usually about five degrees andthe extent of elevation about fifteen degrees.

' Thus, any movement imparted to the roller with respect to the trigger 38 during elevation or depression of the gun will be negligible and will to a large extent be compensated for bylostmotion in the connections between said roller and the swivel connection 49.

I claim:

i. In a gun'includingfiring means and barrel directing means, said barrel-directing means having a hand wheel by means of which it may be operated; a push button carried by said hand wheel and mounted for pushing movement with respect to said hand wheel and for turning movementwith respect to said hand wheel, means operatively connecting said push button with said firing means for actuating the latterwhen said push button is pushed, and safety means interposed between said push button and said hand wheel and controlled by turning movement of said push button with respect to said hand wheel for locking said push button when this button is turned to one position and for releasing said push button when this button is turned to another position.

2. In a gun including firing means and barreldirecting means, said barrel-directing means having a hand wheel by means of which it may be operated; a push button carried by said hand wheel and mounted for pushing movement with respect to said hand wheel and for turning movement with respect to said hand wheel, means operatively connecting said push button with said firing means for actuating the latter when said push button is pushed, safety means interposed between said push button and said hand wheel and controlled by turning movement of said push button with respect to said hand wheel, for locking said push button when this button is turned to one position and for releasing said push button when this button is turned to another position, and ooacting indicating means on said hand wheel and push button for indicating Said positions of said push button.

BRYAN -P. JOYCE. 

